Refrigerating apparatus



I April 26, 1938 1.. A. PH I LlPP v 7 2,115,120

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed April 5, 1935 INVEAXTOR. A/QW/EE/ICZ f]. PHIL/PP WZM ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,115,120 nnrmoana'rmo arraaa'ros Lawrence A. Philipp,

mesne assignments,

Detroit. Mich, assignor, by

Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich corporation of Marylan riginal application April 5,

Divided and this application March 1933, Serial No.

11, 1935, Serial No. 10,467

1 Claim. (cl. 62-126) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus, and more particularly to refrigerating systerns of the flooded type.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 664,523, flled April 5,

1933, for Refrigerating apparatus, and issued as Patent No. 2,021,924, Nov. 26, 1935.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a refrigerating system of the type including a condensing element and a flooded evaporating element with a refrigerant accumulator, which serves at all times to prevent the'fiow of liquid refrigerant from the evaporating element to the condensing element.

Another object of my invention is to provide a refrigerating system of the type including a condensing element and a flooded evaporating element with a refrigerant accumulator of sufilcient size to permit variations in the charge of refrigerant admitted to the system without the possibilities of circulating liquid refrigerant from the evaporating element to the condensing element. Another object of my invention is to provide a refrigerating system of the type including a condensing element, evaporating element, and a high side float mechanism, with a refrigerant accumulator at the outlet of said evaporating element, which accumulator is of suflicient size to accommodate any liquid refrigerant which may be circulated through the evaporating element either during normal operation of the system or all of the liquid refrigerant contained in the system which may be circulated through the evaporating element in the event said float mecha-- nism becomes faulty in operation, or any other condition causing abnormal operation of said system, to thereby provide for refrigeration throughout the entire surface of the evaporating element by insuring delivery of liquid refrigerant through said evaporating element to the outlet end thereof without the possibility of passing liquid refrigerant into said condensing element.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is afront view in elevation of a refrigerant evaporating element embodying features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view 'in elevation of the evapcrating element shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view in elevation, partly broken away, of the evaporating element shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and showing diagrammatically a refrigerant condensing element; and

Fig. 4 is a view in cross section of a refrigerant accumulator embodying features of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, a refrigerant evaporating element 22 is shown to which is operatively connected a refrigerant condensing ele- 5 ment 24.

The evaporating element 22 comprises, in general, a sleeve 26 arranged for receiving a plurality of ice making receptacles (not shown). A refrigerant expansion coil 28 is sinuously wound around three sides of the sleeve 26. Liquid refrigerant issupplied to the refrigerant "evaporator 28 through a liquid supply conduit 30. An elongated refrigerant accumulator 32 is horizontally disposed along the top wall of the sleeve 26. An outlet portion 36 of the coil 28 is connected to the accumulator 32.

The refrigerant condensing element 24 comprises, in general, a compressor, motor 43 for operating the compressor, condenser 45, and a combination liquid refrigerant receiver and high side float mechanism 46. The compressor withdraws evaporated refrigerant from the element 22 through a vapor return conduit 48, compresses the gaseous refrigerant and delivers it to the condenser, wherein it is liquefied and from which it is delivered into the housing of the receiver-float valve mechanism. Liquid refrigerant is delivered to the element 22 through the liquid conduit 30 under the control of the float mechanism 46.

In the refrigerating system hereinbefore described, I provide a chargeof liquid refrigerant which is sumcient to permit the delivery of liquid refrigerant through the coil 28 and to the outlet end 36 of coil 28 during normal operation of the system. Thus, refrigeration is insured throughout the entire length of coil 28.

In order to prevent the slop-over of liquid refrigerant from the outlet 36 of coil 28 into the vapor return conduit 48, I have provided the refrigerant accumulator-32. Thus, it will be noted that any variations in the charge of liquid refrigerant admitted to the system is immaterial, since it would be necessary to rise in the accumulator to a point above the outlet before the liquid would be delivered to the vapor conduit. Thus, it will be noted that the accumulator takes care of variations in the charge of refrigerant introduced into the system.

In order to prevent the slop-over of liquid refrigerant into the vapor conduit during any abnormal operation of the system, such, for example, as a leaky float valve mechanism, 1 have constructed the accumulator of suflicient size as to accommodate all of the liquid refrigerant in continuous insertion of warm substances in the evaporator to be frozen. When this occurs, the

system operates more than normal and evaporaf tion'takes place in coil 28 much faster than normally, thus causing more liquid to pass through said coil. In a system of the type herein disclosed, it is usual to place the outlet of the combination liquidrefrigerant receiver at the lowermost part thereof. Thus, any leakage of the float valve mechanism results in passage of all of the liquid in said receiver into the coil 28. Thus, an accumulator of suiflcient size to accommodate all of the liquid in the system not contained in the coil 28 readily serves at all times to prevent the flow of liquid into the condensing element or conduit 48. Preferably, the accumulator is disposed on the upper surface of element 22.

Preferably, the system is intermittently operated. In order to control the operation of the system, I provide an automatic switch 10 which controls the motor circuit to the power mains H. Preferably, the switch is thermostatically controlled by means of a thermostatic fluid containing bulb 13, which is disposed in metallic contact with the fitting 8|, which is disposed in thermal contact with the top wall of sleeve 26 and partially in the path of the circulating air in the .cabinet in which the evaporator is located.

In order to prevent refrigeration taking place immediately upon entrance of the liquid refrigerant into the supply conduit 30 after leaving the float mechanism 46, I have provided a pressure responsive valve 85. This valve interconnects conduit Ill and coil 28. The valve maintains the pressures in the supply-conduit 30 sumin pressures in conduit 30.

Although only a preferred form of the inven tion has been illustrated, and that form described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claim.

WhatI claim is:

Refrigerating apparatus, comprising a refrigerant evaporating element of the flooded type including a box-like sleeve providing a'freezing zone, a refrigerant evaporating conduit in the form of a serpentine coil associated with three sides of said sleeve for freezing substances in said.

zone and for cooling circulating air exteriorly of said zone, a longitudinally extending refrigerant v vessel extending along the top wall of said sleeve,

means for introducing liquid refrigerant into one end of said serpentine coil and causing same to flow in one direction only to the terminating end thereof in said vessel and for withdrawing vaporized refrigerant from the gas space in said vessel and means responsive to changes in temperatures in said sleeve for controlling said latter means.

LAWRENCE A. PHILIPP. 

